The 5 part strategy to kick-start your executive job search

Reaching a career crossroads is a fact of life.  After a period of time in a job, there comes a point where you crave the next career challenge and want an opportunity to push yourself to achieve more.

Being ambitious and driven is what will bring you to your career crossroads.  You need to seize your desire to succeed and nurture this vision so that you can reach the next level in your career journey.

If you have been in the same job or company for some time, beginning your executive job search can seem overwhelming.  Where should you start?  Who should you speak to?  Where will you find new opportunities?

Here is a simple 5 part-strategy from Executive Recruit to help you kick-start your executive job search!

1) Review your CV

It still stands that your CV is the first impression you give to new employers.  So it is crucial to use your CV as an opportunity to highlight your personal individuality and your unique abilities.

Include key accolades and achievements from each role.  Use each job to demonstrate your talents and prove the contribution you have made to each business.  Don’t forget to highlight valuable transferable skills that will make you an asset to your new company.

2) Define yourself

Reviewing your CV should help you fine-tune a list of your distinctive abilities and unique skills set.   Follow this by taking some time to reflect on what you have achieved in your career and what talents make you stand out.

Once you have defined what you have to offer, you will be better placed to search for executive roles.  You will confidently be able to identify those jobs that will suit your skills completely, visualise yourself in those roles and be able to pitch yourself perfectly for them.

3) Evaluate your expectations

Kick-start your executive job search by being clear on what you are looking for – what do you expect from your next role in terms of salary, industry, responsibilities, opportunities, culture and progression?

Taking the time to consider what you want from your next position will make starting your executive job search much easier.  It will streamline how you search for new roles.  You will confidently be able to pick the right opportunities and will be able to hone in on those roles that are a true match to your aspirations and objectives.

4) Appraise the job market

Once you are clear on what you are looking for and what makes you stand out from the rest, you can give your executive job search a helping hand by doing some preliminary research into the job market.

Before going full-steam ahead, it can be beneficial to scope out the job market – familiarise yourself with executive job titles, look at the skills required for various roles, research into different sectors and review salaries, benefits and opportunities.

Don’t forget to get up to speed on how companies are recruiting and make contacts where needed.  Open up discussions with executive search companies, build your personal profile on LinkedIn and keep abreast of what is happening in your sector.

5) Be ready for action

Kick-start your executive job search by getting yourself ready for what lies ahead.  There are huge benefits in being prepared for opportunities!  You never know when the perfect executive job will appear.  Simple steps will leave you poised to make your mark:

Be interview ready – think about the talents and achievements you want to get across in an interview and have this information prepared and ready to go.

Open conversations – network and make contacts within your sector to put yourself in a great position to hear about new executive roles.

Believe in yourself – never underestimate what your individual talents and experience can bring to a company and project this positivity outwards.